


I Vow Myself

by ozhawk



Series: The Soulmates Continue [14]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Canon Divergent after AoS S02E10, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Post San Juan, RIP Trip, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-28
Updated: 2016-09-08
Packaged: 2018-07-18 19:09:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7326832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ozhawk/pseuds/ozhawk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following Skye's exposure to the Terrigen Mist in the Kree Temple under San Juan, Heimdall sees that two new Inhumans have been created, one of whose powers threaten Midgard itself. He sends Thor directly there to intervene. In shock, and grieving for Trip, Skye isn't at all prepared to be confronted with a demigod...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The first chapter is reproduced from the [Soulmate Shorts](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7326832/chapters/16642573), chapter 22. The first 'new' parts of the story begin in Chapter 2.

“You summoned me, Heimdall?” Thor strode into the Bifrost chamber. The golden-eyed Guardian turned to face him, nodding.

“Yes, my Prince. You are sworn to protect Midgard and an issue has arisen there that requires our attention.”

“Not Lady Jane again?” Thor said with a small sigh. He and Jane had soon realised they were not compatible beyond the first flush of attraction, but the woman still seemed a magnet for trouble.

“No; this is on the other side of the ocean. One of the Kree devices has been activated.”

“Ugh! How many are dead?”

“Only one. Two have evolved. One’s power is contained within herself; she is of no concern to us. The other is who you must retrieve; a young maiden who has gained power over the element of earth. She has not yet learned control and must be removed from her element, lest she cause great tragedy all unwitting. Go to her, Prince Thor, and I will send the Bifrost to take you both to a place where she will not endanger anyone while she learns to control her powers.”

 

 

The earth was shaking as they scrambled out of the tunnels and fled. Skye sobbed uncontrollably against Coulson’s shoulder; May kept glancing anxiously back at them as she drove the car as fast as she dared, heading back to the Bus.

“Coulson,” May said suddenly, “Look.”

Phil leaned forward from the back seat, looking at where she was pointing. A feeling of dread coiled in his stomach as he saw the pattern of lightning flaring in the sky.

“Is that what I think it is?” May asked.

“It looks as though we may have drawn some attention,” he said, shrugging. “Nothing we can do. Keep going. Looks like whoever it is will meet us at the Bus.”

Thor was standing at the Bus’s open ramp, being stared at in awe by the wide-eyed Koenig brothers, as the car pulled up. Coulson had murmured to Skye that they might be having Asgardian visitors, and she managed to suppress her tears, peering out of the window.

“It’s Thor himself,” Coulson muttered, spotting the red cape.

“The big guns, huh?” May said.

“The biggest.”

May caught Skye’s eye in the rearview mirror and smirked slightly. Skye managed a watery grin in return. Of _course_ Coulson wouldn’t get the joke about Thor’s arms.

Mack – who hadn’t said a word since she told him what had happened to Trip – got out of the car first and stood facing Thor. As though that would do any good if the Asgardian had come to kill her. Thor was bigger even than Mack, and with that hammer… Skye’s thoughts broke off as her foot touched the ground and the earth started to shake again.

“Let not thy foot touch Midgard’s surface, my lady!” Thor boomed, striding forward. He took her hand in his to urge her back into the car, but as soon as their skin touched, both of them cried out.

“Ow, ow, that _burns_!” Skye squealed, trying to snatch her hand away, but even though Thor wasn’t holding on, she seemed to be _stuck_ to him. And then her hand came away and she held it up, staring in astonishment as the odd circular birthmark on the palm of her hand began to fill in with swirling patterns of red and gold. Thor held out his hand, palm up, and she saw a similar pattern there, only his colours were flowing pale blue, white and yellow.

“What is it?” Skye said, horrified.

“It is a soul-bond, my lady, the way it appears among my people,” Thor gazed at her in wonder. “Over a thousand years I have searched for you,” he said, his deep voice low and soft, and then he dropped to one knee, gazing at her where she sat sideways on the back seat of the car, clapping his marked palm over his heart. “I vow myself to you, body and soul, my lady, as your champion and protector, for all time.”

Skye stared at the god kneeling before her. At his perfectly windswept blond hair, his blue eyes, the slight scruff of stubble across his hard jaw. He looked far too beautiful to be real. Born without soulmate words on her body, she’d spent her whole life waiting for them to appear, and in the end resigned herself to being one of the Unmarked. To discover that she did have a soulmate after all, Thor himself, on this day of all days – it was just too much. She burst into tears again.

Thor clenched his jaw, watching his soulmate weep. She seemed so young, so fragile to bear such a burden. He rose and turned to Coulson, who’d been watching with his eyes almost falling from his head. “I must take her away, Son of Coul. She endangers all of you until she has learned to control her power.”

“The quakes?” Coulson asked.

“Aye, Heimdall saw what has occurred and sent me to collect her. I will keep her safe, never fear.”

“I know you will.” Coulson offered his hand to shake. “We lost a friend today,” he said, too quietly for Skye to hear. “Let her grieve.”

“She will have all the time she needs, I promise you. I will send Lady Sif to you now and again, with news, until I am able to return her to you. Only one thing,” Thor hesitated. “What is her name?”

“Skye,” Coulson said quietly. Her father had called her Daisy, but he knew Skye well enough to know she would never use that name. “Her name is Skye.”

Thor inclined his head, turned back to the car, and lifted Skye out easily, cradling her close to his chest, before striding away from the plane to a clear patch of ground.

“Where are you taking me?” Skye sobbed out.

“To a place where you need not fear,” Thor told her gently. “Heimdall! Open the Bifrost!”


	2. A Whole New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye and Thor arrive on Asgard.

Skye was too lost in her grief, and in the uncomfortable feelings roiling around inside her body, to do more than cling to Thor; hiding her face in a fold of his cloak as the Bifrost roared around them in a nauseating swirl of colours.

She had the vague impression of a huge, vaulted room, of a giant in golden armour who Thor called a few words to in a language she didn’t understand - and then Thor shifted his grip on her.

“Don’t put me down!” She clung to his huge shoulders desperately.

“Never, my lady,” he told her gently. “But I must have a hand free so that I can fly us to the Halls of Healing. Hold on tightly, though you need not fear that I will let you fall.”

She pushed her fingers behind the leather straps of his armour, took a tight grip. His thickly muscled arm around her was warm and strong, and even though her feet dangled well off the floor she never remotely felt as though she might fall.

Skye heard a whirring sound, peeked up to see Mjolnir spinning in a blur of silver as Thor whirled it around. She couldn’t help a small shriek as they whooshed suddenly up into the air, and Thor hugged her a little tighter.

“Not long now, my lady,” he called to her over the wind whistling in her ears. She nodded against his chest, her fingers white as she clutched onto him.

It couldn’t have been more than a minute, might even have been a little less, before Thor brought them in to land, his feet hitting with a hard thud, powerful body absorbing the impact easily. He hung Mjolnir from his belt and scooped Skye into both arms again.

“Where are we?” she asked nervously.

“The Houses of Healing. Your body has undergone a great change; while it cannot be reversed, we can aid you to adapt to the changes quickly, so that your body does not pain you while you learn to utilise your power.”

“I don’t want to _use_ it!” she cried out desperately. “I don’t _want_ it!”

His blue eyes were shadowed as he looked down at her, his expression gently pitying, and Skye began to cry again.

“Hush,” Thor cradled her gently against him, his heart wrenching at her heartbroken sobs as he carried his soulmate inside. The Healers were waiting for him, of course; the Soul Forge open to receive his soulmate’s body. “I have to lay you down,” he told her, “for the Soul Forge to work, I cannot be touching you; but I will be right here, where you can see me.”

Scared, she panted with distress as he laid her down. A tall woman with a kindly face and white hair braided in a complicated arrangement like a coronet around her head moved up to stand beside him.

“I am Eir,” she told Skye, “and I am here to help you. This will be a great deal easier on you if you close your eyes and allow me to put you to sleep?” Her tone was questioning.

“You’ll be here?” she begged Thor with her eyes as well as her voice.

“I will be here, my lady. I will _always_ be here.” He held his marked palm out towards her; Eir looked at it with a shocked expression she did her best to quickly mask.

“Then - okay. I think I’d like to sleep. As long as - as long as there are no dreams…” she was quite sure that she would see Trip crumbling away in front of her eyes for all eternity.

“There will be no dreams, my lady,” Eir’s tone was a great deal more respectful than it had been a few minutes previously. “Close your eyes.”

Skye took a deep breath, still gazing at Thor’s face as he bent over her. He nodded gently at her and she closed her eyes, feeling Eir’s fingers touch her eyelids ever so gently before blackness overwhelmed her.

“ _Another_ human on Asgard?” Odin said angrily, striding in. Thor turned to face him, grateful that Skye was already asleep. The Soul Forge hummed to life behind him, Eir beginning her work without regard to her king.

“More than human, this one. _In_ human. And my soulmate, Father. You will not keep me from her.” Thor held out his freshly-marked palm. “Nor her from Asgard, since she is destined to be its queen.”

Odin stopped short, his single blue eye widening as he gazed at the mark. “Come, we will discuss this privately,” he turned on his heel.

“Not now, Father. I promised Skye that I would not leave her.”

“She sleeps; she will know nothing of it!”

“Nevertheless, I will not break my word to my soulmate. Not now and not ever.”

For a long, silent moment, Odin stared at him, and then he tipped his head with a grudging respect, stepped forward to stand beside Thor, glancing at Eir, who went about her work oblivious to the two men. “So be it. We shall speak here. We must discuss what is to be done.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Skye woke to see a soft, shimmering dome of bluish-white light arched above her - and through it, Thor’s face, as he stood quietly speaking with Eir. The incessant buzzing under her skin was gone, the turmoil in her mind eased; and while she still thought of Trip with grief, it was no longer as overwhelming as it had been. She was able to think, to process. To wonder what would happen to her now.

Cautiously, she lifted her hand, inspected the colours swirling brightly across her palm. Soulmate to a god, or demi-god - how it was possible, she had no idea, but the way Thor turned to her and smiled when he saw that she was awake seemed to indicate that he, at least, welcomed the idea.

The shimmering, humming dome winked out, and Thor offered his hand to help her up. “Eir said that once you woke, the Soul Forge’s work would be done. How do you feel?”

“Hungry,” she admitted after a moment’s thought, and Eir and Thor both smiled.

“That is good,” Eir told her. “Food has been prepared for you, fresh clothes…” she didn’t quite hide a look of disdain as she glanced at Skye’s dusty, filthy combat gear “...wash water. I will leave you now.”

“Should I wash up first?” Skye asked as Thor helped her to her feet, his huge hand folded gently around hers.

“Nay, my lady. Eat first. You need to regain your strength.”

“Please, could you just call me Skye?” she asked a little timidly as he led her over to a small table set with covered dishes. “Or I’ll feel the need to call you Your Highness or something, and that strikes me as… kind of uncomfortable.”

Thor hesitated before inclining his head. “When we are alone, of course, Skye. But among the citizens of Asgard, I will treat you with the same respect I must insist you are due from them.”

“Fair enough,” she agreed after thinking about that for a moment, sinking gratefully into the offered seat - she felt as weak as a kitten - and inhaling the deliciously aromatic steam rising from the first dish that Thor uncovered for her. “Okay… what the hell _is_ that?” She peered in distress at the _thing_ on the plate that looked rather like a large purple lobster.

Thor laughed and took a seat beside her. “Let me serve you, Skye. You will recognise little, but I promise, everything tastes good.”

He was right, she discovered; everything did taste good. Even the meat from the purple lobster thing. The only thing she didn’t care for was an innocuous-looking dish that tasted like too-hot curry; after a single bite she shook her head, reaching for the goblet of water by her plate. Thor cleared the dish away without comment and served her something else.

After she was finally stuffed full, Skye sat back with the goblet of water and looked at Thor, who’d scarcely taken his eyes off her the whole time. She gave him a shy smile and he smiled back, white teeth flashing. He was so gorgeous he didn’t even look _real_ , she thought a bit vaguely.

“So,” she blinked, glanced away. “What happens now?”

“Eir has given strict instructions that you are to rest and recuperate for at least twenty days, and there will be little rest if you remain here in the palace. So if you agree, I will take you to a private retreat of the royal family for that time. Or longer, if you prefer. You need see no one, speak to no one, if you do not wish to.”

“That - sounds really nice,” Skye admitted, and Thor nodded.

“I will be with you, of course, to ensure your safety - and because I do not think I can stand to let you out of my sight for long, now I have finally found you.” He smiled at her again, and Skye was glad she was sitting down, because she suspected her legs had turned to jelly at that smile.

“When do we leave?” she asked a little hoarsely.

“As soon as you are ready. There is a room here where you may wash and refresh yourself, and then we can go. I have a skiff waiting.”

“A skiff?” she blinked.

“A flying vessel. More comfortable than my way of flying when one has a passenger.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The skiff looked very much like a small boat, actually. Comfortably furnished with cushions and a thick rug Thor tucked around her solicitously, she couldn’t help but think about how Fitz would have bombarded Thor with questions about how it worked.

“My friends,” she asked, “have you any news about what’s happened in San Juan?”

“Indeed. Lady Sif travelled to Midgard while you slept; she remains with the Son of Coul and your other friends, for the time being. She will assist in the clearing of the tunnels and the permanent sealing off of the Kree city.”

“Good,” Skye snuggled down into the thick rug. “Have they found Raina?”

“The other who transformed? Yes. She sought to kill some of your colleagues in the tunnels, but was no match for Sif’s sword. Your friends are all quite safe.”

Thor stood tall at the boat’s stern, handling the tiller-like device easily, his long red cape swirling around him. He looked majestic, magnificent, and Skye thought that she would never tire of looking at him, as he looked down at her and smiled.

“You are comfortable?”

“Very.” She curled a little closer to him, wanting to be in contact physically. He moved a little, enough so that she could curl a hand around his booted ankle. She drifted off to sleep there, for a little while, watching his face outlined against the shimmering alien stars.

Skye awoke being carried in Thor’s arms, still wrapped in the thick rug. He carried her so easily, high in his arms as though she weighed nothing at all, her head tucked against the strong curve of his neck. She peered about at the building he was carrying her through; smooth pale grey stone blocks made up the walls, the doorways were arched with finely carved timber doors. There were beautifully made tapestries and hangings on the walls.

“Nice place,” she murmured.

“The royal family’s winter retreat. My mother was very fond of Koerngaard Castle,” Thor’s face was briefly sad, as he shouldered open a door and carried Skye in. “These will be your chambers. Mine are adjoining, through that door over there,” he nodded to the far wall. “This is your sitting-room, and through there is your bedroom and a bathing area.”

Skye had literally never seen any rooms so luxuriously appointed, and said so, as Thor carried her into the bedroom and set her gently down on a magnificent four-poster bed so soft it felt like sitting on a cloud. He smiled, sitting down beside her and taking her hand.

“I am glad you like the rooms. If there is anything you need, anything at all, pull on that bell-rope beside the bed there and your maid Otte will attend you.”

“My _maid_?” Skye said in disbelief.

“Yes?” Thor looked a little blank, then smiled. “You are not accustomed to having personal servants?”

“Hardly!”

“I see. Well, you will not find Otte intrusive, but she will help you with your clothes, your bath if you wish it, dressing your hair…”

“I’m used to doing all that for myself,” she told him with a shake of her head.

Thor looked at her seriously, his fingers playing lightly with hers as he held her hand. “You are my soulmate, Skye of Midgard, and like it or not, I am a prince of Asgard. While I will seek to give you all the time you wish, there will be pressure for you to become my princess sooner rather than later, and once that happens all eyes will be upon you. Like it or not - and I do _not_ , at all - royalty is always under a very fine scrutiny.”

She listened carefully to what he said, watching his face. Nodded, finally. “I guess I’ll need some help with clothes, at least. Asgardian fashions seem to be a little bit different from what I’m used to!” At least, if the gown she’d been given to wear to replaced her dusty, tattered clothes was any guide. Soft and flowing, it felt sleek as silk yet as warm as wool, she had no idea what the fabric was made of, but it draped to her body beautifully. She probably wouldn’t have picked the bright teal-blue colour for herself, but she had to admit it was very flattering.

“Will you permit me to summon Otte now, to help you prepare for bed? It is late and you should rest; while the Soul Forge did its work, your body will still need time and rest to heal.”

She didn’t want him to go, struggled to say as much, her face reddening. Thor listened gravely to her stammered words before lifting her hand to his lips, pressing a light kiss against her knuckles.

“It grieves my heart to be parted from you for even a few moments, too. If you wish it, Otte can summon me back to your side once you are ready to sleep, and I will remain with you through the night.”

Skye nodded, almost overcome with relief, and Thor kissed her fingers again before rising to his feet and tugging the bellpull.

Otte turned out to be older than Skye expected, a sweet-faced, almost grandmotherly-looking woman who instantly put her at ease, shooed a laughing Thor out and produced a pair of pyjama pants and a tunic-like top in a soft, silky material. Half-afraid she’d be offered some lacy, frothy confection of a nightgown, Skye accepted the comfortable things with relief, suffered Otte brushing her tangled hair, and had her first encounter with an Asgardian toilet, which was both similar to and yet different from the ones she was familiar with; enough that she was giggling and relaxed, lying back against the downy cloud of pillows when Thor returned.

He’d changed too, and though he looked magnificent in his princely armour and crimson cape, Skye realised that she thought him even more handsome like this, in tunic and pyjama pants not unlike the ones she now wore. Lines of care were gone from his face as he thanked Otte and closed the door behind her, coming to sit on the bed beside Skye.

Blue eyes searched her face before Thor smiled. “You are feeling a little better?”

“A little,” she admitted. “Everything in San Juan seems so far away, now. But Trip…” Grief welled in her throat again and she bowed her head.

“I am truly sorry for your loss, Skye. I too have lost friends and comrades. It is well that you should grieve for him, but you must celebrate him too. I understand that there are no remains for a funeral rite; in such circumstances here on Asgard, we perform a different ceremony. Perhaps, when you feel able, we shall celebrate him together.”

She nodded, but the tears wouldn’t stop coming. Thor offered his arms and she fell into them, sobbing out her grief, letting his tunic soak up the tears. He just held her, rocking her gently, humming something low and soothing, a tune she didn’t recognise. She drifted off to sleep listening to him singing softly in a beautiful mellow tenor.


	3. A Good Pillow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor reassures Skye that he can help her learn to use her power. The only problem is, they can't stay in his nice safe castle to practice...

Skye woke still nestled in Thor’s arms. He seemed to sense her eyes opening, because his huge hand immediately passed lightly over her hair.

“Good morning,” he said quietly.

Shyly, she lifted her head, met his sky-blue eyes. “Good morning.”

“You slept restfully.”

“You’re a good pillow.”

Thor’s eyes widened before he chuckled. “No one has ever said that to me before.”

“Well,” she poked at his rock-hard pectoral muscle through his shirt, “I can vouch for it.”

He looked almost bashfully pleased. “I am happy to volunteer as your pillow any time you please.”

“Sounds good to me!” Skye stretched luxuriantly, falling back against the bed’s own pillows as Thor released her. He rose to his feet gracefully, reaching for the bell pull.

“I will call Otte to you now. Perhaps you will join me to break your fast once you have refreshed yourself and dressed?”

She nodded in agreement, watching the back view as he padded barefoot to the door. It was a very nice back view. _How does his hair even look perfect in the mornings when he’s just woken up?_ she wondered, bemused, quite certain that her own resembled a rat’s nest.

Otte soon had her fixed up, though, bustling in, setting out a lovely dress that turned out to have divided skirts and was really much more comfortable than it looked. It was a very short number of minutes later that Skye looked at herself in the mirror in bemusement.

“Is it actually some kind of magic?” she asked.

“What, my lady?” Otte turned from making the bed to look at her.

“That thing you did to make me look like this. I don’t look like this even when I’ve spent two hours getting ready for a hot date and you managed it in ten minutes!”

Otte’s gentle face broke into a broad smile, and she came to stand beside Skye, putting a hand on her shoulder. “It’s called experience, my lady. I was a personal attendant to Her Majesty Queen Frigga for several hundred years. She had little patience for primping and preening, but at the same time a queen must always look her best.”

“You were one of the Queen’s attendants?” Skye gaped at her.

“Aye, my lady. Prince Thor called for me and asked me to come here ahead of you, to prepare for your arrival, to be your personal servant.” Gently, Otte smoothed a hand down Skye’s back. “I was honoured to be asked, my lady, and I am honoured to be of service to you. If there is anything that you want to ask me, about Asgard and our customs - especially anything that you feel you cannot ask Prince Thor - I am here for you.”

Skye felt a lump welling in her throat. “Would it be all right for me to ask for a hug?” she said huskily.

Warm, comforting arms wrapped around her in a motherly embrace. “Any time you wish, child. Any time at all.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Otte soon had her tears dried up and her face smoothed out, and directed her where to meet Thor.

“Third left, second right, door next to the painting of the two blue dudes kneeling in front of a king,” Skye muttered, pacing through the castle’s vast halls. “This must be it.” She stared at the painting for a moment. “I wonder if the blue dudes are Kree? Huh.” A little tentatively, she knocked on the door.

“No need to knock, my lady - Skye,” Thor opened the door and smiled down at her. “Please.” He gestured to her to enter, and she did, dazedly turning her head to look up at him as she walked by.

“Dear God, you’re tall.”

He shrugged at that. “I think you are not particularly short, for a Midgardian maiden? On Asgard, you will be among the smallest of our people.”

“Great, something else for me to feel inferior about,” she mumbled, but his huge hand landed gently at the small of her back.

“You are not inferior to anyone, here or on any other world. You are my soulmate, the future Queen of Asgard.”

Her expression, if anything, grew more anxious. Realising his mistake, Thor hastily backtracked. “In a very, very great number of years, I hope. My father is quite hale and hearty.”

Every single thing out of his mouth seemed to contain something new that she wasn’t prepared to deal with or even think about just yet, so she turned away and looked around the room.

It was actually more of a balcony, she registered, tall columns at one side separating it from the sky, which was a glorious shade of blue. The air smelled of salt and some sort of rich, exotic foliage; she couldn’t resist heading over to the balustrade to look out.

“Holy crap!” She gazed at the apparently-endless expanse of glorious beach. “Is this like, Asgard’s version of the Bahamas?”

Thor joined her at the balustrade. “Tropical islands on Midgard popular with holiday-makers, yes?” he checked. “Well, yes, but without the holiday-makers. This is the Isle of Koerngard, a private retreat of the royal family.”

“Private island. Right.” SKye leaned forward, looked up at what she could see of the castle. “With a Magic Kingdom-style castle.”

A faint tremor ran through her, and the stone balustrade began to quiver under her hands. Quick as a blink, Thor scooped her up off her feet.

“What the…?” Skye started.

“Your power was manifesting, Skye, with your emotions.”

“Oh,” she looked down at her hands, then up at him. “Guess I can’t hide the fact that I’m a little tense, huh?”

“Literally everything here is strange to you,” Thor said gently, carrying her to a chair at the table and setting her carefully down on it. “In the space of a day, your whole world has been ripped away.” He went to one knee by the chair, putting him at her eye level, reached out a big hand and touched her cheek lightly. “Do not be hard on yourself for having strong emotions, Skye. Trying to hide them inside yourself will only lead to your power turning inward, perhaps harming you. Trust me on this. I cannot tell you how many times I have accidentally struck myself with lightning when I lost control of my temper.” His grin was rueful, a cocked eyebrow inviting her to share the joke. “Many a time I have singed my hair and eyebrows.”

The very thought of Thor singed and sooty made her snicker, and he smiled more widely. “Later today, I will take you somewhere where you can work on you unleashing your power safely, learning to control it. But first, you must eat, replenish your strength.”

The food at breakfast wasn’t as unfamiliar as dinner had been - the bread appeared and tasted fairly similar to what she was used to, and the honey tasted exactly the same - but there was an assortment of unusual fruit Thor convinced her to try. She discovered a blue plum-like fruit that was absolutely delicious and said so with the juice dripping down her chin.

“I shall make sure that it is on the table for our every meal, then,” Thor said with a deep chuckle, leaning in with a napkin to wipe her chin. She grinned sheepishly and saw his blue eyes darken briefly, his gaze fixing on her lips. But he pulled back and turned away.

“Are you finished? Then please, come with me.”

“I don’t see how there can be a safe place for me to ‘practice’ with my power,” Skye said as he led her through the castle. “I certainly don’t want to damage this beautiful place…”

“We’re not staying here. Until you have your powers under control, unleashing them anywhere on a populated world could be very dangerous.”

They’d come back out to the small platform where Skye vaguely remembered leaving the skiff the previous evening. Thor reached out a hand to help her in.

“So we’re going back to the Bifrost?”

“No. My brother Loki showed me that there are other ways between the worlds. Not so very far from here is a rift that passes through to Svartalfheim. It was once the world of the Dark Elves, but they are long gone. Nobody lives there now, Skye; nothing you do there can harm any living person.”

The look of relief that passed over her face made Thor very glad that he’d made the decision not to wait another day. While the Soul Forge and Eir’s expertise had stabilised Skye’s physical changes, she needed to learn to come to terms with her power, and quickly, because it was a dangerous gift she wielded. The freedom to use it without fear of the consequences, to learn the true magnitude of her strength, was a great gift. Even if he had to take her to the dark and frozen wastelands of Svartalfheim to do it.


	4. Not A Slow Learner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor begins to teach Skye how to control her power. They spend some time together and the attraction between them builds.

“Well, this is a charming spot,” Skye looked around as Thor led her out of the cave. They’d left the skiff behind on the Asgardian side and clambered through the rocks. She hadn’t felt anything to indicate that they’d passed through some sort of rift between worlds, but these dark and wasted plains were a far cry from the idyllic Asgardian side.

“The Svartalfar were not good stewards of their world.” Thor’s face was still and calmly remote as he spoke. “Large areas of the planet are completely uninhabitable, contaminated so seriously that death would be the only outcome for any who ventured there.”

“Sounds like Chernobyl,” Skye muttered under her breath, wondering if Thor saw humans in the same light as the extinct Dark Elves. All the same, it was good to know that she couldn’t hurt anyone here. Except maybe Thor himself. Turning to him, she saw him unhook Mjolnir from his belt, swinging it in lazy circles around his fist.

“Wha…” she started to say, and then gasped as lightning suddenly arced down out of the sky to the hammer.

“I am not as you, or as my mother, or as Loki was,” Thor said, the hammer spinning down to a stop. “The power does not come from within me. Nonetheless, I am able to contain it, and I have learned to control it.” He held out his hand towards her, and she gasped as she saw the tiny bolts of lightning dancing between his fingers. “Mjolnir is a powerful tool, but it is only a tool. The strength, the control, must come from my will alone, just as yours must. Here.”

Skye looked up at him nervously, but he only beckoned, the lightning still dancing on his hand. Hesitantly, she held her hand out - and laughed.

“It tickles!”

Thor reached his other hand out to one side, the hand holding the hammer, and a massive bolt of lightning streaked out and split a nearby boulder in two.

“When you can vibrate a single blade of grass in a meadow with one hand, and crack open the earth with the other,” he said, “then you will truly have control.”

“I suspect that’s taken you several hundred years to learn, though!” Skye grumbled as he let the lightning on his fingers blink out.

“Yes,” Thor said, and his smile flashed, unexpectedly wry, as he hung the hammer back from his belt. “But then, Mother always said I was a slow learner.”

That made her laugh as he moved around to stand behind her, and her heart lightened a little. “So what do I do?”

“From what Heimdall tells me, in the Kree Temple when your power unleashed, everything crumbled around you, but you yourself were unharmed.” Thor’s hands slipped around her waist, drawing her back against his broad body. “Even if the ground does give beneath our feet, I have you, Skye. I will not let you fall.”

The utter certainty in his voice reassured her - and the steady strength of his hands made something else rise up in her, an awareness that hadn’t really struck her until now, of his sheer, total _masculinity_. A small shiver ran through Skye, and the ground beneath her feet tremored in response.

“Your hands,” Thor said softly in her ear. “Use your hands, to guide the power. Later, perhaps, you may find a tool or weapon that suits you, but right now it must come from within you.”

She hadn’t realised until he spoke that her fists were clenched with tension, stiff at her sides. Uncurling them, she lifted them in front of her, held them out uncertainly.

“That rock I smote with the lightning,” Thor’s low voice was utterly calm, steadying. “See how one half of it leans, off-balance? Feel it. Feel the stone, the age of it - the way it wants to fall, given only the slightest touch. Find that place where the mere brush of a fingertip will make it topple.”

Skye breathed slowly, her focus narrowing on the leaning, shattered stone. Thor’s voice steady and encouraging in her ear as she _felt_ for it with her power.

“I feel it,” she whispered, “or I think I do…” it was a vibration, the faintest feeling reverberating back through her hands, a soft quiver.

“Match it. Find the frequency and send it back. You can do it, Skye.” There was such utter certainty in Thor’s tone that she couldn’t doubt him. Cautiously, carefully, she pushed back against the stone - and stared with utter incredulity as it toppled, slowly and majestically, to shatter into a thousand pieces on the hard rocks below.

“I did it,” Skye said in amazement.

“You did,” Thor praised her warmly.

“I did it! I really did it!” It had been so _easy_. Reaching for the other half of the boulder, she found its frequency, shoved harder since it wasn’t so off-balance, watched with triumph as it fell too. “I can do this! I really can!”

Thor’s laughter was a deep roar in her ears; she turned in his arms, smiling up at him in pure delight. “Thank you! Oh, Thor, thank you so much!”

“I did nothing,” he disclaimed, “it was all you.”

“You gave me the confidence to believe in myself.” She could feel it _all_ , Skye discovered; the natural frequency of everything around her. Thor’s heartbeat was a deep, steady boom that felt as though it thudded through her own chest. Wonderingly, she put a hand to her heart. “I could stop a heart with this power,” she realised.

“As can I, with mine. But I can also restart one, Skye, and so could you. Or you could force one to keep beating, to keep driving blood around the body of a stricken comrade until aid could be sought. All gifts come with a price, and they can all be turned to evil or good, as the heart of the wielder determines. A sword is not evil; nor is a gun. The hearts of those who hold the weapon are what matters, and I believe I know your heart already.” His fingers under her chin to make her meet his eyes, Thor said gravely “You would no more harm an innocent with this gift than would I.”

“You have a lot of faith in me considering that we just met yesterday.”

Thor’s smile was a little crooked. “Are you not the mate of my soul? My mother told me that I would have to truly know myself before I would find you, and as in everything, she was right. Even were that not so, I know one thing about you that would declare your heart to be pure in any case.”

“What’s that?” Skye had to ask.

“The Son of Coul loves you as a daughter,” Thor said simply. “I do not doubt his judgement on the matter.”

His heartbeat still thrummed in her blood; she could _feel_ the strength in him, so much more power than she could ever have imagined. Her lips moved, shaping his name without making a sound.

“Skye,” Thor said, his voice even lower than before, the vibration of it transmitting through her whole body, making her shiver with _want_ \- his as much as hers, she realised; she could feel his body reacting to her closeness, even as the thick muscles of his arms surged, lifting her off her feet.

He kept his gaze on hers all the way up the clear foot of height difference between them, as he lifted her easily up so that their faces were level. Skye couldn’t stop staring at his eyes, at the incredible blue of them, at the tiny gold flecks she suddenly saw in them as she got close. Her heartbeat matched to his, beating suddenly a little faster as his pulse leapt with excitement. He spoke her name again, making her whole body shiver with the resonance of it; she lifted her hands to place them on his shoulders, fingers curling into the thick softness of his cloak as he brought her closer, closer, until she could feel his warm breath on her lips.

It was still Skye’s choice to close the gap, to press her lips against Thor’s. He kissed her back, but it was a gentle, exploring kiss, not aggressive at all. Not, at least, until she nipped lightly at his lower lip, wanting him to open his mouth, wanting more.

She felt his pulse leap again, his arms tighten around her. Was it his hunger she could feel, or her own? Skye was no longer sure. A soft moan welled in her chest as he kissed her back more thoroughly, his tongue playing a teasing, flickering game with hers.

Thor broke the kiss slowly, lowering Skye back to her feet, though she still clung to him. “Enough,” he said gently. “I will not rush you.”

“You didn’t, I wanted that…”

“As did I, but as you pointed out earlier, we met just yesterday.” His huge hand caressed her cheek. “We have all the time in the world to get to know each other, Skye. Let us move gently.”

“About that,” she sighed as he moved back, “you do know how long humans live, right?”

“I do, but you are no longer entirely human, Skye. The Terrigen Mist changed you in ways more profound than you yet understand, and Asgard itself changes those who reside here. You will see centuries pass, at the very least.”

“Oh,” she whispered, seeing the truth of that in his blue eyes, the quiet, serious look he gave her. With his youthful face, it was easy to forget just how old Thor was, just how much he must have seen in his long life. Feeling her emotions rising up to choke her again, Skye turned away and looked back out at the blasted landscape. Taking a deep breath, she held out her hands out, forcing the power she could feel welling up inside her out through them - and _shaping_ it harmlessly, carefully. Remembering long-ago music lessons and figuring that if vibrations made sound, then she should be able to create music.

With some practice. Right now it sounded more like a bag of angry cats than the simple nursery rhyme she'd been aiming for.

Thor chuckled, though, a pleased, approving sound.

“Good! Excellent, in truth, a harmless way to dissipate excess build-up!”

“That depends on how tone-deaf you are,” Skye quipped lightly, but she was glowing inwardly at his enthusiastic praise.

Thor wasn't prepared to let her call it a day just yet, though. He encouraged her to drill herself, to practice control on both large and small scales, until she was sweating and breathless with exertion.

“Ugh, you’re a harder taskmaster than May!” she complained at last, collapsing to sit on a rock.

Thor smiled, going to one knee beside her. “My apologies. I forget how new you are to your power.” He felt inside his cloak, produced a small silver flask. “Here, a sip of this will help revive you.”

“Is this the stuff that’s rumoured to get Steve Rogers drunk?” Skye sniffed a little dubiously at the flask.

“Aye, it’s Asgardian mead, which is why you should only take one, _small,_ sip,” Thor grinned. “Of course, I could always carry you back.”

“You might have to if I get any more exhausted.” Skye sighed and very cautiously tipped up the flask, wetting her lips and then licking them off. “Oh. Mm.”

Thor whipped the flask back out of her hands before she could take another, larger sip.

“But it’s _nice_!” Skye protested, licking her lips again. The mead tasted really good, like warm honeyed cider. “Ohhh.” It hit her bloodstream like the kick of an angry mule. “Wow.” She swayed slightly. “That’s. Wow. That’s like doing tequila slammers with the whole bottle.”

“And that’s quite enough for today, in any case.” Thor stowed the flask back under his cloak and put his arm around Skye to help her up. She swayed into him, grinning, and reached up to wrap her hands around his bicep.

“Whoah, your arms are huge,” she said admiringly, “I can’t even make my hands meet!” Looking up at him through her lashes, she bit deliberately on her bottom lip, worrying at it lightly with her teeth.

Thor blinked, a little startled. “I… have worked hard to become strong,” he said hesitantly.

“It shows.” Twining herself around him, Skye traced her fingers lightly down the inside of his arm. “All over.”

“Ah,” he said, suddenly enlightened. “Ah, you become amorous when you are intoxicated.”

“Thor,” she said, “I don’t need to be drunk to know that you’re the most gorgeous man I’ve ever laid eyes on, that you’re noble, brave and smart.” Skye had to reach her arm way up over her head to touch his cheek. He dipped into her touch, though, turned his face against her palm and kissed her fingers lightly, blue eyes closing briefly.

“Skye,” he said softly, his arm curling around her, holding her close to him, “that I have found you after all these years of searching is nothing less than a miracle to me.”

“I know it doesn’t compare to a thousand years, especially since I didn’t even realise that I had a soulmark,” Skye said, “but I’ve felt empty my whole life, until I met you. Until my soulmark filled in and I realised that _you_ were what I’d been searching for, that you were the key.”

Thor seemed to catch his breath at her words; his lips parted, and for a moment she thought he would kiss her again, but then he seemed to catch himself and took a small step back.

“This is not the place to speak of such things,” he murmured. “Come. Let us return to the safety of Asgard.”


	5. A Grievous Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn more about Otte, and Thor encourages Skye to express her grief for Trip.
> 
> Warning: Sadz.

Ch. 5

Back at Koerngaard Castle, Thor escorted Skye back to her suite and seemed about to suggest that she call for Otte and take a rest. At least until she grabbed his hand and tugged him into the room, closing the door behind them.

“Skye…” he started. “You should rest.”

“I feel fine. Not even drunk any more,” she shook her head. “That mead’s powerful stuff, but it wears off pretty quick.”

“Still, you have done a great deal with your power this morning, which you are unaccustomed to doing. You must be weary.”

“Thor,” Skye tilted her head, looking up at him with a curious little smile, “are you trying to run away from me?”

“I do not run away!” He froze, realising that he’d been sidling back towards the door.

“Is the great Thor scared of little tiny me?” Skye stepped forward, thoroughly invading his personal space. Reaching up to trace her fingers over the armour on his chest.

“I would be foolish if I did not fear you,” he seemed to give up with a sigh, “since you have the power to bend me to your will with a mere glance. That said,” strong fingers folded gently around hers, drew them down, “this is not the time.”

She groaned in disappointment, but deep inside she knew he was right.

“My lady?” Otte came bustling in then, with a nod and a smile for Thor. “My, you are absolutely _filthy_!”

She hadn’t even looked down at herself, but she did so now and realised it was true. The beautiful dress she’d put on earlier looked thoroughly grubby, her hands and arms smudged with gray dust. Probably her face too, she realised, glancing up at Thor, who was looking decidedly imperfect himself, not that she’d really noticed.

“Let’s get you all cleaned up and a fresh dress. You must be famished too.” Otte spared one glance for Thor, standing by the door as she ushered Skye towards the bathroom. Arching an eyebrow at him, she flapped a brisk hand in his direction. “Shoo.”

“Did you just tell Thor to shoo?” Skye had to giggle.

“I’ve been shooing that boy out of rooms for centuries and I see no reason to stop now. He has no business in your rooms anyway, soulmate or not, until your union is made official,” Otte said a little severely, helping Skye out of her dress.

“Er… what?”

Otte’s face softened, her tone gentling. “Our customs may be strange to you, my lady. How is it, between soulmates on Midgard, after they first meet?”

“I… wouldn’t say that there are any specific customs,” Skye admitted. “Not in America at any case. Generally the soulmates will spend as much time together as they can.”

“Intimately?”

For some reason, that made Skye blush. “It depends, but yes. Usually fairly quickly.” She took a deep breath. “Is that not how it is done on Asgard?”

Otte hummed to herself as Skye eased into the steaming bath. “Soulmates are rare, and a special case. Asgardians live a long time, Skye. We are rarely in a hurry to settle down as humans are. It can take a long time for a pair to decide that they are compatible enough to marry. Marriages are not easily dissolved under our laws.”

Skye hesitated. “Please don’t be shocked by this, but - do you mean that Asgardians don’t go in for casual sex?”

That made Otte laugh, to Skye’s surprise. “Actually, we do, and sometimes that leads on to more serious relationships. But it is more common, when a pair meet for the first time and consider that they might become serious about each other, to go slowly. Not to rush into physical intimacy.”

“That’s what Thor is doing,” Skye murmured, sinking down into the hot water.

“Only consider how recently you met,” Otte said gently, handing her a deliciously scented soap, “and under what difficult circumstances. While I know well how easy it is to forget one’s troubles in the pleasures of the flesh, is avoiding dealing with major issues really the way you wish to begin your lives together? Is it not better to come to know each other first?”

“Ugh,” Otte was right, and Skye knew it. “You’re far too wise.”

Otte’s smile was knowing. “There is a reason Prince Thor asked me to serve you, Skye. Many a time he has quietly asked my advice. He hasn’t always _listened_ , mind you, Though his impulsive tendencies seem to be wearing off as he finally matures.”

“If Thor’s impulsive, we humans must seem positively manic to you,” Skye said thoughtfully.

“It is in the nature of the short-lived races,” Otte said pensively, “but you are no longer entirely human, Skye, and you will become less so the longer you remain here on Asgard.”

She still had that troubling thought in mind as she met back up with Thor a little later. He offered to show her around the castle, and she agreed, accepting his offered hand, feeling its warmth and leashed strength as it coiled around hers.

“Otte said that I will become less human by remaining on Asgard, and you said something about that earlier too,” she said after they had walked for a while. “What does that mean?”

Thor nodded. “Asgard’s very environment, the air we breathe, the food and drink we consume, promote longevity. Those who were born here have it bred into them, blood and bone, but if they are away long enough, even they will begin to show signs of age.”

Remembering suddenly Elliot Randolph, the renegade Asgardian Skye had once met who had looked decidedly middle-aged, she asked curiously “How old would an Asgardian be to start looking old, normally?”

“Four thousand years, or more,” Thor shrugged. Seeing Skye’s eyes widen, he said quietly “It is not quite the done thing to ask a lady’s age, but Otte is at least that age. She is very wise.”

 _The maid doing my hair is older than the Pyramids_ , Skye thought, and shook her head a little incredulously. “What about humans coming to Asgard? How long should I expect to live?”

“After a few hundred years, you would not know them from born Asgardians, unless they returned to Midgard, at which point they would begin to age again as the influence of Asgard wore off.”

It was beyond her comprehension, that she would outlive everyone she’d ever known. As she thought of it, she remembered Trip, the friend she’d already lost, and tears welled in her eyes.

“This makes you sad,” Thor squeezed her hand lightly. “Sit with me, Skye?”

They were on yet another of Koerngaard’s amazing balconies; this one had comfortable couches set on it, and he led her to one, sitting down beside her. Leaning against him, his huge arm tucked securely around her, Skye shut her eyes and pressed her cheek against his shoulder.

“Tell me of what troubles you,” Thor requested gently, and she whispered Trip’s name.

“Ah, your friend the warrior. A grievous loss indeed, Skye.”

“He turned to stone in front of my eyes,” she choked out, “and the quakes, when they started, they _shattered_ him - it was _my fault_. He shouldn’t have been there, he came to try and help me…”

Thor didn’t try to deny her guilt, or offer her empty platitudes. He just held her and let her cry, let her grieve. At last, when she felt all cried out and was breathing deep unsteady breaths against his now thoroughly wet shirt, he said; “Tell me of him. Tell me who he was, what made him such a treasured friend to you that you grieve him as a brother.”

She wanted Thor to know, to understand; so she told him everything. From their first meeting when Trip had made her laugh, to the team’s uncertainty about his loyalty, to Trip’s quiet, modest pride in being a grandson of Gabe Jones, one of the legendary Howling Commandos and the way he’d told his grandfather’s stories to a rapt audience. She talked about Trip’s skills as a field agent, the way he’d helped her when she was struggling, his innate gift for defusing tensions within the team.

Through it all, Thor only listened, occasionally asking a question. Somehow, Skye found herself laughing as she recalled a prank Trip had played on Hunter, Thor chuckling as well as she described Hunter’s outrage.

Almost before Skye knew it, the sun was dropping below the horizon, the sky taking on amazing hues of orange and violet. She fell silent at last, watching the spectacular sunset. At last, as the sky darkened to midnight blue, Thor spoke.

“When a loved one dies, it is tradition to talk of them as you have to me. Gifting others who had not the privilege of knowing them, with some measure of the love we held for them. It is a catharsis, and I hope it will bring a measure of comfort to you in your grief.”

“It has, I think,” Skye agreed, glancing up at him. “Thank you for listening.”

“It was my honour. I have no doubt that Trip resides now in Valhalla, feasting with the Valkyries as is his earned right as a fallen warrior.”

She couldn’t help but smile at that. “He’d like that. He’d charm them all with his stories and that infectious laugh of his.”

“Comfort yourself with that image, Skye.”

She nodded against his chest, looking up at him with a small smile. “Thank you, again. I do feel a little better about it now.” She hesitated a moment before saying softly “I know that you recently lost loved ones too, your mother and your brother. If at some point you’d like to tell me about them, I’d be honoured to listen.”

Thor lifted her hand and kissed it. “I will, Skye, I promise. My father is not ready to speak of them; perhaps he never will be, but I have found that it gives me some comfort. But it will take a lot longer than one afternoon!”

She chuckled a little at that, and her stomach rumbled, reminding her that it was getting late.

“Come,” Thor rose and offered his hand. “Let us see what culinary delights Koerngaard’s cooks have created to try and impress you with tonight!”

“Impress me?” she asked as they walked back along the castle’s wide corridors, “why would they wish to impress _me_?”

Thor gave her a slightly incredulous look. “You’re soulmate to the Crown Prince of Asgard, Skye. Though we are not yet wed, the staff already consider you to be chatelaine of this castle, and of every other property belonging to Asgard’s throne. Why would they _not_ seek to impress you?”

Skye stopped walking, mouth open. “Oh, _not_ okay,” she said after a moment of stunned silence. “ _Chatelaine_? That means the person who runs the place and makes all the decisions, right? Because the biggest home I’ve ever run was my van.”

“There is no hurry for you to do anything, to change anything. We have a most efficient staff in place.” Thor patted her hand reassuringly as he led her into the room where they’d dined the previous evening.

 _Just one more thing for me to feel inadequate about, then_ , Skye thought to herself as Thor held the massive carved wooden chair for her to sit. _I feel like a Cinderella who gets the prince and then discovers that everyone looks down on her anyway._

She didn’t say that to Thor. She didn’t think she could bear it if _he_ realised just how useless she was actually going to be as his soulmate.


	6. A Feast For The Senses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A late night encounter after a nightmare shakes Thor's resolve to take things slowly.

Skye found herself feeling incredibly tired after they ate, and Thor told her that it was a common aftereffect of exercising power such as she had that morning.

“Go to bed and sleep,” he told her with a light, fond touch to her cheek. 

“Sounds like a good plan,” she agreed, eyelids drooping, and allowed him to lead her back to her suite and place her into Otte’s capable hands to prepare for bed.

 

“Skye! Skye!” Strong hands grasped her shoulders. “Wake up!”

“What!” she startled upright, staring up at Thor in the faint moonlight washing her chamber. He looked concerned, she realised. “What’s happening?”

Only then did she realise that the room was shaking.

“Control it,” Thor said steadily, his voice calm, eyes locked with hers. “Slow breaths. Don’t try to draw it back inside you, you’ll hurt yourself.”

She might have panicked, but for his steady voice, his calm strength. Still, she struggled to control the power, to steady her own breathing. The room’s shaking didn’t abate.

“I can’t let it go…”

“Here,” and to her astonishment, he laid Mjolnir down on the bed beside her, guided her hands to the chill metal of the hammerhead. “You cannot harm Mjolnir. Let it go.”

He looked a little surprised when that made her smile slightly. “Like Elsa. Only I can’t sing like she does.”

“Elsa…?” Thor said, but Skye wasn’t listening, was concentrating on grasping back the reins of her unchecked power, feeding it into the metal under her hands.

Mjolnir gave one small quiver before stilling, and Skye let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” she looked up at Thor. “I - I don’t know what happened.”

“You were dreaming, I think. Do you recall?”

She shook her head slowly, then nodded. “It was - I was in the tunnels. Under San Juan. I was running…”

“Sshh,” Thor soothed, seeing her become agitated again. “It’s all right. You are safe here, on Asgard, and the tunnels are no more.” Lifting Mjolnir off the bed and setting it on the floor, he shifted about to put his back against the headboard and tugged Skye into his lap. “You are safe here with me. Nobody can hurt you.”

He felt very safe, very warm and muscular and… naked. To the waist, anyway, Skye realised, all those glorious muscles exposed and perfectly available for touching. His skin was hot and smooth under her fingers as she skimmed them lightly over his chest.

Thor’s pulse accelerated at her light, tentative touch. He should stop her; he was well aware of it, but instead he sat stock still as her fingers explored his torso, tracing the swell and dip of thick muscles. Her hair was soft as silk against his arm and shoulder, her skin softer yet as his fingers slipped of their own volition under the hem of her tunic to caress lightly at her lower back.

“Thor?” she whispered at last, lifting her head to look up at him.

“I should not be here,” he said reluctantly, but he couldn’t seem to remove his hand from her back.

“This is exactly where you should be,” she disagreed, “where your soulmate needs you.” She put an emphasis on the word  _ needs  _ that made Thor bite at his lip, close his eyes and take a deep breath.

“I want you,” he was not a man for fancy words, never had been, and he didn’t ever want Skye to be in any doubt about the way he felt. “I desire you so badly I can barely breathe for it.”

“If the next word out of your mouth is ‘but’, we’re going to have our first fight,” Skye said warningly.

Thor shut his mouth.

With a smile, Skye wriggled up his body to sit astride his hips, making Thor suck in a shocked breath. There was no way she could miss his arousal, thick and hard under the lightweight pants that were all he was wearing. 

“Let me see if I’ve got it straight,” Skye said. “You’re worried that we only just met each other, and that falling into bed together quickly could maybe put a strain on our relationship when we’re still getting to know each other.”

He could barely think with her sitting on him like that. He could feel the heat of her body through the thin layers of fabric separating them, feel  _ dampness  _ between her thighs. Mindlessly, he nodded in agreement with her words.

“And I’d understand that completely if we  _ weren’t  _ soulmates, Thor. But holding yourself apart from me is more likely to put a strain on the relationship than not, don’t you understand? Don’t you  _ feel  _ it? All I want is to be near you, all the time.” Her dark brown eyes were wide and imploring, begging him to understand.

“Yes,” Thor confessed a little hoarsely. “When you are not close by, there is an emptiness…” he pressed a hand to his chest. “An  _ ache _ , of longing such as I have never known.”

“ _ Yes _ ,” she almost gasped in relief, that he felt it too. “It only feels better when I’m with you. Touching you.” Her hands were pressed flat against his chest; he laid his gently atop them.

“It is the soulbond, drawing us together. An ever-tightening cord.”

“Fighting it  _ hurts  _ and I don’t  _ want  _ to,” it was nearly a sob, the stresses of the past few days catching up with her again, and Thor’s steady resolve shattered.

“You don’t have to fight it. You don’t.” Leaning up towards her, he pressed his lips to hers softly. “I am yours, my lady. Always and ever yours.”

The first kiss was soft; the second anything but, as Skye grabbed hold of Thor’s head and kissed him back fiercely, her fingers sliding into his long golden hair. His arms wrapped around her, a warm, steady cradle of strength as he rolled her gently to her back, bracing himself above her, his eyes searching her face.

“You are quite sure, Skye?” Thor checked one last time.

In answer she lifted her legs to wrap them around his hips, pulling him closer even as her fingers tugged on his hair to bring his face back down to hers.

Thor seemed in no hurry to move beyond kissing; perhaps it was just that Asgardians lived so long they felt they had infinite time to do everything, Skye thought, but she was frankly desperate, a heated throbbing at her core making her rub herself against Thor like a cat in heat. Not that he seemed to care, grinding back against her hungrily.

Letting go of his hair now that he no longer seemed inclined to pull away, she tried to reach down, tug at the waist of his pants, but he was so much bigger and taller than she that she couldn’t even reach. She made a sound of frustration against his mouth.

“What is it, my lady?” Thor lifted his head.

“Clothes, all the clothes, off!” she demanded a bit incoherently, making him smile.

“I do not wish to rush you…”

She gave him a push, shoving him back off her - well, he moved, she couldn’t have moved him without using her power, she fully realized - and then sat up, crossing her arms at her waist and pulling her tunic off over her head.

Thor’s wide eyes settled on her exposed breasts.

“I’m not feeling rushed.”

Thor made an inarticulate sound.

“Although I am feeling a bit inadequate,” Skye looked thoughtfully at Thor’s pectoral muscles, “because I’m pretty sure your boobs are bigger than mine.”

He blinked at her in astonished silence for a few seconds before beginning to chuckle heartily. “You may be right, but mine are not half so pretty!”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she gazed admiringly at him, kneeling there on her bed. “You’re a feast for the eyes, all right.”

“And you are a feast for  _ all  _ my senses.” Thor licked his lips slowly, eyes falling back to her breasts. “I would wish to discover if you taste as sweet as in my dreams…”

Skye held out her arms in welcome, lying back on the pillows again. “You dream of me?” she asked shyly.

“Every time I close my eyes, there you are.” Moving to lie beside her, he slid an arm around her waist, pulling her gently to her side so that he could press his face between her breasts, kissing at them lightly. His short beard rasping against her skin was a sensual stimulus that made Skye shiver, her hand coming up to curve over his bicep, nails digging in as his tongue flicked suddenly over her nipple, wetting it before he blew cool air across it.

Skye gasped as he repeated the action twice more, before curling his tongue around her nipple and tugging lightly. His arm around her waist moved stealthily; she had a moment to wonder what he was doing before a sudden tingle of electricity made her arch up against him with a shocked cry of pleasure.

“That’s totally cheating!” she panted out.

Thor chuckled against her breast. “Merely using all the tools at my disposal.”

“I should make some joke about Mjolnir being you compensating for something…” he sparked electricity through her nipple again, with his goddamn  _ tongue  _ that was  _ definitely  _ cheating, and Skye completely lost her train of thought.

“I do not need Mjolnir to compensate for anything, I assure you,” Thor growled softly as Skye shuddered and jerked against him. He slid his other hand slowly over the outside of her pants before finding the drawstring at her waist and tugging it loose.

Skye clung to Thor as he gently eased his hand inside the soft fabric, sliding it slowly down her stomach. She could feel the lightning crawling over his fingertips, lightly tickling on her skin. 

“Please,” she whimpered, craving more, craving that touch on her most intimate parts, “please, Thor…”

He chuckled again, tonguing her breast lightly. “Are you sure? You do not think it is cheating?”

She groaned, digging her nails into his massive biceps muscle. “Please!”

He didn’t actually touch her clit. He didn’t need to. The tiny lightnings arced from his fingertips to the throbbing little bud and Skye screamed in ecstasy. From her hand on his arm, a ripple of vibration spread through Thor in response, a sympathetic echo of her orgasm that had Thor groaning out her name, his eyes closing with bliss.


End file.
